Will advance to finals in September

A team comprised of students from the Lally School of Management and the School of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute recently brought home the top honor from the 2018 APICS Case Competition regional held in Parsippany, New Jersey.

More than 200 teams from around the world entered the competition, and seven regional winners will compete at the finals this September in Chicago. The competition was held in seven cities on the same day (Toronto, Atlanta, Chicago, Mexico City, Amsterdam, Parsippany, and Costa Mesa).

“The APICS Case Competition advances the supply chain profession by promoting supply chain and logistics knowledge among students,” said APICS CEO Abe Eshkenazi, CSCP, CPA, CAE. “On behalf of APICS and Deloitte, we are excited to showcase and support these talented students, who will shape the future of the profession.”

Teams consisting of undergraduate and graduate students presented original solutions to a supply chain management problem, which involved challenging elements from across the supply chain skillset, including distribution, logistics, planning, inventory management, and more.

Winners were selected for their exemplary real-world case solving skills and their excellent grasp of end-to-end supply chain principles, according to APICS. The winning Rensselaer team included Nick Ziter, Shaeed McLeod, Amanda Harrold, and Xinze Li.

The teams were given a case study about a manufacturer of economical washer-dryer units headquartered in Mexico. The units are known for their ease of use and product quality in the North and South American markets. Seeking to grow its business, the company ventured into the Brazilian market in the previous quarter. However, the company has since struggled to ramp up production to meet demand and is evaluating options for a successful market expansion and growth strategy in Brazil.

“The number of entries in the first round was quite high,” said T. Ravichandran, the Irene & Robert ’55 Bozzone Distinguished Professor of Management and Technology and associate dean for research in the Lally School. “From this they picked eight teams in each region to compete in the regionals. The competition was stiff and it is a testimony to our students’ ability that they came out with flying colors. In fact, our graduate students have done quite well in this competition in the past—RPI was placed second last year and third a couple of years back.” Ravichandran and Hakan Hekimoglu, assistant professor in the Lally School of Management, coached the team for this competition.

“We look forward to seeing all of this year’s participants begin impactful careers in supply chain management,” said Doug Gish, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, and supply chain and manufacturing operations service line leader. “This collaboration with APICS came about as a result of both organizations’ desire to hone this field’s future leaders. It’s encouraging to see motivated students with the strategic skills and knowledge needed to manage next-generation supply chains.”

Opportunities for students to come together across disciplines to participate in competitions and solve grand challenges is an example of the vision of The New Polytechnic, an emerging paradigm for teaching, learning, and research at Rensselaer, the foundation of which is the recognition that global challenges and opportunities are so great they cannot be adequately addressed by even the most talented person working alone. The New Polytechnic is transformative in the global impact of research, in its innovative pedagogy, and in the lives of students at Rensselaer.

About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, is America’s first technological research university. For nearly 200 years, Rensselaer has been defining the scientific and technological advances of our world. Rensselaer faculty and alumni represent 86 members of the National Academy of Engineering, 17 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 8 members of the National Academy of Medicine, 8 members of the National Academy of Inventors, and 5 members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, as well as 6 National Medal of Technology winners, 5 National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With 7,000 students and nearly 100,000 living alumni, Rensselaer is addressing the global challenges facing the 21st century—to change lives, to advance society, and to change the world. To learn more, go to www.rpi.edu.